Fr. Dolan then went to visit Léonie at the Visitation monastery; he also
introduced the same question to Léonie about Pauline’s holiness. He asked
her: “Do you think Pauline is saintly?” (CWc) Without any hesitation, Léonie
reinforced to him this perception and went even further to say that she was
a saint. “I do not believe there is a superior so esteemed.” (CWe) Decades later
on December 3, 1943, Fr. Dolan would state in one of his books after the
death of Marie: “St. Thérèse owes much of her sanctity, to her holy parents
as well as to her holy sisters Marie and Pauline. I would not be surprised if
the Church in the future would declare both of them saints.” (M)
Many of Pauline’s Carmelite sisters were very loyal to her especially in
her leadership role as prioress. With the overwhelming interest in the
Carmelite monastery, the job of prioress was extremely demanding. Her
sisters witnessed firsthand the day-to-day difficulties Pauline faced both
inside and outside the monastery. She had a duel task of fulfilling the needs of
her Carmelite sisters within the monastery as well as fulfilling the needs of the
numerous visitors that came to the monastery. In order to accomplish such an
enormous task as being prioress, she always sought out God for guidance in every task and practiced both humility and
simplicity to fulfill each task. Once, in a letter to her sister Léonie, she had remarked: “I do not know why my sisters
love me so much. Since I have been prioress, I have never had to say the same thing twice.” (CWc)
Pauline’s little sister became St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus on May 17, 1925. A beautiful ceremony took place in
Rome to celebrate the newly canonized Saint. Earlier, Pope Pius XI extended an invitation for Marie, Pauline, Léonie,
and Céline to attend the ceremony in Rome. However, all of them declined the invitation so that they could continue
their work in their respective monasteries as cloistered nuns thus not interfering with community life. But in the place of
their absence, Pauline arranged for two Tourière (lay) sisters from the Visitation monastery to travel to Rome for the
ceremony. Pauline made every effort to notify Léonie of all the news and events surrounding Thérèse’s canonization.
On January 15, 1927, as an added honor to bestow upon her newly sainted sister Thérèse, Pauline compiled and
published the booklet titled: ‘Novissima Verba’ (Last Words). These were a compilation of her last conversations that
she had with Thérèse. Their conversations were recorded in Pauline’s yellow notebook from May to September 1897.
One of Pauline’s closest confidants, her sister Marie, suffered from a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. On January
25, 1929 she was placed in the infirmary permanently. Her health depleted even further and on March 8, 1937, Pauline
requested that the priest give her the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. But this was not to be her last communion, in fact;
she would live just two years longer.
In December of 1939, Marie’s lungs had filled with fluid. It was a great indication that she was gravely ill. The doctors
were summoned at her bedside and their final verdict was that she was not going to make it much longer. It was very
hard on Pauline because both of them had been through so much together starting from their childhood while they were
at the Visitation boarding school and then as nuns at the Carmelite monastery. Pauline and Céline spent several hours a
day at her bedside while she suffered. They informed Léonie of the daily events occurring around their beloved sister.
Marie had managed to make it to the month of January. Pauline had asked her if she wrote her a letter for her feast
day. Marie nodded and acknowledged to her that she did. Pauline wanted to know from her which Bible verses she
used to give herself comfort when she suffered through so many challenges in her life. On January 19, 1940 her last
audible words in front of her sisters were, “I love thee” as she kissed her crucifix. As she was praying the rosary and
gazed her eyes on the statue of “Our Lady of the Smile”, she breathed her last breath, the time had come for her soul to
ascend to Heaven.
After the community left the infirmary, her sisters prepared her body for burial. As Marie’s body lay still in the
infirmary, Pauline found the letter Marie had written to her. As Pauline sat beside Marie in tears, she opened the letter
and read it out loud. Marie explained in her letter to Pauline about what she was going to do for all eternity and in
closing what Pauline meant to her with her beautiful words of endearment to her longtime faithful companion.
On January 23, 1940, a Mass was said in the Carmelite chapel and witnessed by many worshippers including two lay
sisters that were sent by the Visitation monastery in Caen representing Léonie on her behalf. Marie’s body was then
brought down to a vault located underneath the chapel where her body rests today.
Four months after Pauline’s beloved sister Marie died, France was invaded by Nazi Germany. It was a fear cast down
by many Frenchmen and a fear that would soon be realized on May 10, 1940. A German dictator by the name of Adolph
Hitler decided to invade France. The French army thought that the Germans would attack them on the French and
German border, where they had a strong line of defense. However, the Germans decided to attack France through
Belgium instead. The French army made an enormous effort to stop the German army from penetrating the front lines.
However, they were no match to the German arsenal of weapons. On June 22, 1940 the French and German
governments signed an Armistice agreement that called for two different zones. One zone occupied by the Germans and
the other zone occupied by the French. Unfortunately, Caen and Lisieux were both positioned in the German occupied
zone. The Germans setup outposts in most of the major cities in France, Caen and Lisieux being no exception.
Léonie’s health started to noticeably decline. She was always plagued with illnesses throughout her life. However, it
became more apparent to her as well as to her sisters that her current illness was going to be the one that takes her soul
to Heaven. Léonie wrote to Pauline describing her declining health and how upset she was that she was longer able to
perform her duties in the monastery. One of Léonie’s duties that she valued to do the most was chanting in the choir.
Pauline replied to her in a letter: “Oh, do not permit yourself to grieve, my dear little Léonie. As long as your heart
chants unceasingly the praises of the good God, all is well.” (GV) Always remember the apparition that you saw of
Thérèse’s hand, it is the same hand now, which is closing your ‘breviary’ “but it is only to open wider your great
heart.” (GV)
On behalf of Léonie’s 40th anniversary of her profession in June of 1940, Pauline arranged for Léonie to receive a
papal blessing from Pope Pius XII. Unfortunately, due to the occupation of France, it took a year later before Léonie
was able to receive it on June 3, 1941. Not only did Pauline send Léonie a papal blessing on this day but also sent a
reliquary to house Thérèse’s profession cross. As a gift to the Visitation monastery Pauline agreed to allow them to hold
Thérèse’s cross in possession, after Léonie’s death. Years earlier when Pauline first sent Thérèse’s profession cross
to Léonie; she stipulated that after Léonie’s death that it would be returned to the Carmel of Lisieux. Pauline also
notified Léonie that she received permission to have her body placed alongside her sister Marie in a vault underneath
the Chapel of the Carmel after her death. But Léonie refused this offer for fear that Pauline would end her relationship
with the Visitation monastery.
During the years of occupation by the Germans as well as prior to the invasion, Pauline had helped the Visitation
monastery on several occasions. It was very important to Léonie that her Visitandine sisters were taken care of even
after her death especially during the time of war. Pauline reiterated to Léonie in her letter: “If you fly to Heaven, I will
not fail to communicate often with your Visitation; furthermore, I, myself, feel the need of such continued intimacy.” (GV)
It was not long after Léonie’s birthday that Pauline was notified by the Mother Superior of the Visitation monastery of
her sister’s dire health. On June 12, 1941, Léonie had a stroke and was found lying on the floor unconscious by one of
her sisters. A doctor was immediately summoned to the monastery to check on her condition. Pauline sent two lay
sisters from the Carmel that afternoon to represent both her and Céline. Both Pauline and Céline wrote beautiful
messages to their beloved sister as well as picked some flowers at the Carmel to give to her. Days later after a very
difficult struggle, on June 17th, Léonie’s soul ascended to Heaven. Pauline had two lay sisters from the Carmel
represent them at their sister’s funeral on June 21, 1941. Even though everyone felt the presence of the Germans, many
people from around the world still came to pay their respects.
After four years of occupation of France by the Germans, the decision by the Allied Forces to invade France was
imminent. On June 6, 1944, the first course of action by the Allies was the bombing missions prior to the troops landing
on the beaches of Normandy. The barrage of bombs came several hours later, in the middle of the night, upon Lisieux
on June 7th destroying two of the main churches as well as a couple other monasteries. The first bombing mission
lasted for over forty-five minutes and the majority of the bombs fell on the city center as well as the railway station. The
main objective of the Allies was to destroy the transportation routes of the Germans but due to the heavy cloud cover
over Lisieux the bombs rained down on the small town indiscriminately.
Later that afternoon the second round of bombings commenced. This time the immediate area around the Carmelite
monastery was on fire and they too were now in danger of losing their lives. As Pauline and her Carmelite sisters heard
the sounds of the explosions of the bombs, one of the fathers, associated with the monastery, rushed to find Pauline and
advised her to leave the monastery immediately with her sisters and take refuge at the Basilica. Pauline agreed to his
request and was escorted with her sisters to the Basilica. The only thing Pauline and her sisters were able to take with
them, while they were being bombarded, was Thérèse’s relics. They were forced to leave behind all of the other
possessions associated with Thérèse and all of the work they had accomplished for decades with the risk of losing it
forever. About eighty-five bombs landed in the Carmelite gardens, luckily not dropping on the main buildings of the
monastery. Their gardens were destroyed, leaving them with little food to eat in the coming days. A barrage of fire had
started to commence on the monastery as a result of the bombs. But luckily the fathers were able to put it out saving the
monastery and the chapel.
After two days of bombing raids on Lisieux ended, over seven hundred people died including the majority of the nuns at
the Benedictine monastery, which housed the relics of Thérèse’s First Holy Communion. Despite the dangers that were
lurking in their sites, all of the Carmelite sisters made it to the Basilica unharmed. Many of the townspeople had already
gathered in the crypt of the Basilica when they arrived. It was for Pauline as well as for Céline a great culture shock.
They were forced back into the world once more, a world they had abandoned years ago.
Pauline and her Carmelite sisters went to the altar of the crypt and prayed in the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the
Smile. There they set up a temporary place for them to continue their life of prayer. Hours upon hours they would pray
numerous prayers for their own safety and also for the safety of all who were involved in the fighting for the liberation
of France.
Days after the initial bombings, the German army made their retreat from the Normandy beaches and set their sights on
many small French towns as they retreated eastward. They made several attempts to regroup their armies so that they
could make an attempt to counterattack the Allies invasion on June 8th. An order was sent to the German Panzer
division to regroup in Lisieux but due to the Allied bombings, the German army became disoriented. German General
Speidel changed his division’s direction from regrouping in Lisieux and turned around and headed to the town of Caen
instead. As the fighting went on, a number of the German soldiers, after being separated by the fighting, retreated to
Lisieux and took refuge in the upper half of the Basilica. The Germans made many attempts during the fighting to use
the townspeople as a buffer between them and the Allies. Pauline and Céline as well as their Carmelite sisters and many
of townspeople were also used as a buffer from the Allied forces while they were forced to stay in the crypt of the
Basilica. The Germans also gathered up many of the townspeople and forced them to repair the roads and bridges that
were destroyed by the Allied bombs.
To get a glance at the town they once knew from childhood, Pauline and Céline walked up the steps to the top of dome
of the Basilica. It was very heartbreaking for Pauline to see all of the destruction that lay before them. As tears fell from
her eyes, there were only memories left of the town she once knew for most of it was destroyed.
When fighting had stopped temporarily, the Carmelite nuns grouped themselves into pairs of two, risking their lives to
try and find some food in Lisieux. Pauline and Céline traveled throughout the ravaged town several times trying to find
anyone, which would be willing to share with them some food to eat as well as for their sisters. As they went searching
for food, they took the opportunity to go to Les Buissonnets and see whether it survived the bombings, it of course did.
When Pauline and Céline reached the door of the house that they once spent their childhood in, many of the fond
memories that they had shared resurfaced.
When there was another opportunity for them to venture out in Lisieux, they walked to the cemetery where their family
members were buried. Pauline and Céline prayed before the graves of their father and mother as well as their brothers
and sisters. They also had the opportunity to see and pay their respects to the Carmelite sisters they once knew while
they were in the monastery. These were the first and only times they were able to see what they thought they would
never see again in their lifetime.
Due to the Germans having a stronghold in and around Caen, it delayed the liberation of Lisieux until August 23rd. Once
the British troops reached the outskirts of Lisieux, word had spread throughout the town that the Allied forces were
nearby. On the 21st of August, the British finally reached the outskirts of Lisieux. In the distance, they could hear the
bells of the Basilica ringing even though the German army was still occupying the town. Soon, the German army
retreated to a ridge overlooking the town, leaving snipers behind. The Germans waited for the British troops to arrive
before they started to commence firing mortars on them and the townspeople. The rain delayed the British troops briefly
but they soon took control of the town.
When the British troops arrived at the Basilica, their first intentions were to blow it up. Because it was thought that the
Germans were still in the Basilica, however, they had already left. By a miracle alone, the British commander ultimately
changed his mind and spared the Basilica. After the British troops had complete control of Lisieux on August 24th, it
was time for Pauline, Céline and the sisters to return to the monastery. On August 27th, a procession carrying
Thérèse’s relics made its way from the Basilica and back to the Carmelite monastery. It was a day filled with tears by
both Pauline and Céline, the worst was finally over.
After they returned to the monastery, there was minor damage done to the monastery compound itself as well as to the
Basilica. It was time to repair the damage that was done. Life soon resumed as normal or at least what could be thought
of as normal. For years after, the Carmelite monastery and the town of Lisieux were still mending its wounds from the
devastation that the war had caused. Much had been lost of the medieval houses that inhabited the town as well as the
damage done to the famous Cathedral. Life was very hard for all.
As sisters, the relationship between Pauline and Céline was very close. After the deaths of their beloved other sisters
Marie and Léonie, the legacy of Thérèse’s life was left in their hands. They both continued to work feverishly together
on books and illustrations to continue the legacy of their beloved sainted sister. Even after the war, they relied heavily on
each other more and more. Pauline once remarked about her sister Céline, “I love my little Céline more than anything
else on earth.” (c) Pauline and Céline made every attempt to keep the legacy of their sainted sister as accurate as
possible in their publications to the public. Both of them were met with some resistance from people outside of the
monastery for years. Some authors even made attempts to alter their sainted sister’s ‘Little Way’ but Pauline and Céline
were there to counteract their false interpretations.
When 1949 reached, Pauline contracted a lung infection. She was to realize that she was no longer the physically strong
woman she was once before. Already, 87 years old, she had to rely on others to help her do medial tasks. Céline, her
sister, was always at her side aiding her in all of things that Pauline needed. Pauline became totally dependent upon her
sisters. But she surrendered all of her misgivings and only looked upon God as her source of inspiration and peace.
Pauline always echoed the words to her sisters and those that came to visit her: “Love and Confidence”, now she was
living her own words.
As the 1940’s ended and the 1950’s were ushered in, Pauline was reaching the final years of her life. She battled many
illnesses throughout her life but the common colds as well as the influenza outbreaks were becoming more and more
difficult for her to battle. But through it all, she still maintained her humility as well as her abilities to reign as prioress.
Due to Pauline’s physical infirmaries as well as her illness, she was moved to the infirmary. This time would be the last
time that she would see her cell, the room that was filled with so many memories of her and all of her sisters. Our Lady
of the Smile was placed in front of her bedside. It was very disheartening for Céline to watch her ‘little mother’ suffer
so much. Céline wrote in a note describing Pauline, “She is as sweet and serene as possible, totally abandoned to God.”
(C) As Céline witnessed previously the physical sufferings of her other sisters Thérèse and Marie, so now she was to
witness Pauline’s long ascent to Heaven.
Once the middle of July 1951 came, it became more apparent that Pauline only had days remaining of her life here on
earth. A priest gave her, her last confession as well as the Last Rites. She endured harsh suffering especially when it
came to her breathing. It was very difficult for her to breathe because of the fluid that had built up in her lungs.
On July 28, 1951, just minutes leading up to her death, she made every attempt to pray aloud the prayer, which she
often recited herself: “Jesus, meek and humble at heart make my heart unto thine.” After her last agony, witnessed by
her Carmelite sisters, Pauline’s soul ascended to Heaven. Céline as well as her other sisters prepared their ‘little mother’
for her viewing and her funeral. Her body was placed in the choir of the Carmelite chapel to be viewed by many that had
come from around the world to pay their respects.
On August 1, 1951, Bishop Picaud conducted the funeral Mass for Pauline. After the Mass ended in the Carmelite
chapel, her body was then taken to the vault and placed beside her sister Marie who was already interned there.
After close examination of the works of Thérèse, many theologians as well as biographers have found “Pauline’s
inspiration of evangelism in Thérèse’s message.” Throughout all of the Martin sisters lives, many of the visitors who
came to see Pauline, Marie, Léonie and Céline, at their respective monasteries, were left with the impression that all of
them were very holy nuns. There were many blessings bestowed upon the many visitors who came or wrote letters to
all of them about their sainted sister. Some were simply requests of prayers on their behalf for their intentions and others
were relics that were given to them of their sainted sister.
Bibliography
Abbé Combes, ed. Collected Letters Of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux . (CL)
New York: Sheed & Ward, 1949.
Dolan, Albert H. Rev.. Collected Little Flower Works. Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1929. (CW)
---. Life of the Little Flower (CWa)
---. Living Sisters of the Little Flower (CWb)
---. Our Sister is in Heaven (CWc)
---. Where the Little Flower seems nearest (CWd)
---. The Little Flower’s Mother. Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1929. (CWe)
---. An Hour with the Little Flower (CWf)
---. God Made The Violet Too: Life of Léonie, Sister of St. Thérèse. (GV)
Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1948.
Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF)
Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948.
Baudouin-Croix, Marie. Léonie Martin : A Difficult Life. (LM)
Dublin : Veritas Publications, 1993.
Beevers, John, trans. The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Story of a Soul. (SS)
New York: Doubleday, 1957.
Clarke, John, trans. St.Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations. (LC)
Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1977.
Martin, Celine. My Sister St.Thérèse Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of New York. (MST)
Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1959.
Martin, Celine. The Mother of the Little Flower Trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. (ML)
Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1957
Mother Agnes of Jesus. Marie, Sister of St. Thérèse. Ed. Rev. Albert H. Dolan, O.Carm.
Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1943. (M)
Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF)
Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948.
---. CÉLINE: Sister Geneviève of the Holy Face. Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of the Eucharist of Colchester, Conn. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997. ©
Redmond, Paulinus Rev. Louis and Zélie Martin: The Seed and The Root of the Little Flower London: Quiller Press Limited, 1995. (SR)
Rohrbach, Peter-Thomas, O.C.D. The Search for St. Therese (SST)
Garden City, New York: Hanover House, 1961
Martin, Pauline. Little Counsels of Mother Agnes of Jesus, O.C.D. (LCM)
Lisieux, France, Office Central de Lisieux- distributed by Carmelite Monastery of Ada, Michigan
Helmuth Nils Loose, Pierre Descouvemont. Thérèse and Lisieux (TOL)
Trans: Salvatore Sciurba, O.C.D. and Louise Pambrun, Grand Rapids, Michigan Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996
Gibbons, James Cardinal. Holy Bible (Douay-Rheims) 1899 Edition. (B)
Baronius Press Unlimited, London, United Kingdom, 2005
introduced the same question to Léonie about Pauline’s holiness. He asked
her: “Do you think Pauline is saintly?” (CWc) Without any hesitation, Léonie
reinforced to him this perception and went even further to say that she was
a saint. “I do not believe there is a superior so esteemed.” (CWe) Decades later
on December 3, 1943, Fr. Dolan would state in one of his books after the
death of Marie: “St. Thérèse owes much of her sanctity, to her holy parents
as well as to her holy sisters Marie and Pauline. I would not be surprised if
the Church in the future would declare both of them saints.” (M)
Many of Pauline’s Carmelite sisters were very loyal to her especially in
her leadership role as prioress. With the overwhelming interest in the
Carmelite monastery, the job of prioress was extremely demanding. Her
sisters witnessed firsthand the day-to-day difficulties Pauline faced both
inside and outside the monastery. She had a duel task of fulfilling the needs of
her Carmelite sisters within the monastery as well as fulfilling the needs of the
numerous visitors that came to the monastery. In order to accomplish such an
enormous task as being prioress, she always sought out God for guidance in every task and practiced both humility and
simplicity to fulfill each task. Once, in a letter to her sister Léonie, she had remarked: “I do not know why my sisters
love me so much. Since I have been prioress, I have never had to say the same thing twice.” (CWc)
Pauline’s little sister became St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus on May 17, 1925. A beautiful ceremony took place in
Rome to celebrate the newly canonized Saint. Earlier, Pope Pius XI extended an invitation for Marie, Pauline, Léonie,
and Céline to attend the ceremony in Rome. However, all of them declined the invitation so that they could continue
their work in their respective monasteries as cloistered nuns thus not interfering with community life. But in the place of
their absence, Pauline arranged for two Tourière (lay) sisters from the Visitation monastery to travel to Rome for the
ceremony. Pauline made every effort to notify Léonie of all the news and events surrounding Thérèse’s canonization.
On January 15, 1927, as an added honor to bestow upon her newly sainted sister Thérèse, Pauline compiled and
published the booklet titled: ‘Novissima Verba’ (Last Words). These were a compilation of her last conversations that
she had with Thérèse. Their conversations were recorded in Pauline’s yellow notebook from May to September 1897.
One of Pauline’s closest confidants, her sister Marie, suffered from a severe case of rheumatoid arthritis. On January
25, 1929 she was placed in the infirmary permanently. Her health depleted even further and on March 8, 1937, Pauline
requested that the priest give her the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. But this was not to be her last communion, in fact;
she would live just two years longer.
In December of 1939, Marie’s lungs had filled with fluid. It was a great indication that she was gravely ill. The doctors
were summoned at her bedside and their final verdict was that she was not going to make it much longer. It was very
hard on Pauline because both of them had been through so much together starting from their childhood while they were
at the Visitation boarding school and then as nuns at the Carmelite monastery. Pauline and Céline spent several hours a
day at her bedside while she suffered. They informed Léonie of the daily events occurring around their beloved sister.
Marie had managed to make it to the month of January. Pauline had asked her if she wrote her a letter for her feast
day. Marie nodded and acknowledged to her that she did. Pauline wanted to know from her which Bible verses she
used to give herself comfort when she suffered through so many challenges in her life. On January 19, 1940 her last
audible words in front of her sisters were, “I love thee” as she kissed her crucifix. As she was praying the rosary and
gazed her eyes on the statue of “Our Lady of the Smile”, she breathed her last breath, the time had come for her soul to
ascend to Heaven.
After the community left the infirmary, her sisters prepared her body for burial. As Marie’s body lay still in the
infirmary, Pauline found the letter Marie had written to her. As Pauline sat beside Marie in tears, she opened the letter
and read it out loud. Marie explained in her letter to Pauline about what she was going to do for all eternity and in
closing what Pauline meant to her with her beautiful words of endearment to her longtime faithful companion.
On January 23, 1940, a Mass was said in the Carmelite chapel and witnessed by many worshippers including two lay
sisters that were sent by the Visitation monastery in Caen representing Léonie on her behalf. Marie’s body was then
brought down to a vault located underneath the chapel where her body rests today.
Four months after Pauline’s beloved sister Marie died, France was invaded by Nazi Germany. It was a fear cast down
by many Frenchmen and a fear that would soon be realized on May 10, 1940. A German dictator by the name of Adolph
Hitler decided to invade France. The French army thought that the Germans would attack them on the French and
German border, where they had a strong line of defense. However, the Germans decided to attack France through
Belgium instead. The French army made an enormous effort to stop the German army from penetrating the front lines.
However, they were no match to the German arsenal of weapons. On June 22, 1940 the French and German
governments signed an Armistice agreement that called for two different zones. One zone occupied by the Germans and
the other zone occupied by the French. Unfortunately, Caen and Lisieux were both positioned in the German occupied
zone. The Germans setup outposts in most of the major cities in France, Caen and Lisieux being no exception.
Léonie’s health started to noticeably decline. She was always plagued with illnesses throughout her life. However, it
became more apparent to her as well as to her sisters that her current illness was going to be the one that takes her soul
to Heaven. Léonie wrote to Pauline describing her declining health and how upset she was that she was longer able to
perform her duties in the monastery. One of Léonie’s duties that she valued to do the most was chanting in the choir.
Pauline replied to her in a letter: “Oh, do not permit yourself to grieve, my dear little Léonie. As long as your heart
chants unceasingly the praises of the good God, all is well.” (GV) Always remember the apparition that you saw of
Thérèse’s hand, it is the same hand now, which is closing your ‘breviary’ “but it is only to open wider your great
heart.” (GV)
On behalf of Léonie’s 40th anniversary of her profession in June of 1940, Pauline arranged for Léonie to receive a
papal blessing from Pope Pius XII. Unfortunately, due to the occupation of France, it took a year later before Léonie
was able to receive it on June 3, 1941. Not only did Pauline send Léonie a papal blessing on this day but also sent a
reliquary to house Thérèse’s profession cross. As a gift to the Visitation monastery Pauline agreed to allow them to hold
Thérèse’s cross in possession, after Léonie’s death. Years earlier when Pauline first sent Thérèse’s profession cross
to Léonie; she stipulated that after Léonie’s death that it would be returned to the Carmel of Lisieux. Pauline also
notified Léonie that she received permission to have her body placed alongside her sister Marie in a vault underneath
the Chapel of the Carmel after her death. But Léonie refused this offer for fear that Pauline would end her relationship
with the Visitation monastery.
During the years of occupation by the Germans as well as prior to the invasion, Pauline had helped the Visitation
monastery on several occasions. It was very important to Léonie that her Visitandine sisters were taken care of even
after her death especially during the time of war. Pauline reiterated to Léonie in her letter: “If you fly to Heaven, I will
not fail to communicate often with your Visitation; furthermore, I, myself, feel the need of such continued intimacy.” (GV)
It was not long after Léonie’s birthday that Pauline was notified by the Mother Superior of the Visitation monastery of
her sister’s dire health. On June 12, 1941, Léonie had a stroke and was found lying on the floor unconscious by one of
her sisters. A doctor was immediately summoned to the monastery to check on her condition. Pauline sent two lay
sisters from the Carmel that afternoon to represent both her and Céline. Both Pauline and Céline wrote beautiful
messages to their beloved sister as well as picked some flowers at the Carmel to give to her. Days later after a very
difficult struggle, on June 17th, Léonie’s soul ascended to Heaven. Pauline had two lay sisters from the Carmel
represent them at their sister’s funeral on June 21, 1941. Even though everyone felt the presence of the Germans, many
people from around the world still came to pay their respects.
After four years of occupation of France by the Germans, the decision by the Allied Forces to invade France was
imminent. On June 6, 1944, the first course of action by the Allies was the bombing missions prior to the troops landing
on the beaches of Normandy. The barrage of bombs came several hours later, in the middle of the night, upon Lisieux
on June 7th destroying two of the main churches as well as a couple other monasteries. The first bombing mission
lasted for over forty-five minutes and the majority of the bombs fell on the city center as well as the railway station. The
main objective of the Allies was to destroy the transportation routes of the Germans but due to the heavy cloud cover
over Lisieux the bombs rained down on the small town indiscriminately.
Later that afternoon the second round of bombings commenced. This time the immediate area around the Carmelite
monastery was on fire and they too were now in danger of losing their lives. As Pauline and her Carmelite sisters heard
the sounds of the explosions of the bombs, one of the fathers, associated with the monastery, rushed to find Pauline and
advised her to leave the monastery immediately with her sisters and take refuge at the Basilica. Pauline agreed to his
request and was escorted with her sisters to the Basilica. The only thing Pauline and her sisters were able to take with
them, while they were being bombarded, was Thérèse’s relics. They were forced to leave behind all of the other
possessions associated with Thérèse and all of the work they had accomplished for decades with the risk of losing it
forever. About eighty-five bombs landed in the Carmelite gardens, luckily not dropping on the main buildings of the
monastery. Their gardens were destroyed, leaving them with little food to eat in the coming days. A barrage of fire had
started to commence on the monastery as a result of the bombs. But luckily the fathers were able to put it out saving the
monastery and the chapel.
After two days of bombing raids on Lisieux ended, over seven hundred people died including the majority of the nuns at
the Benedictine monastery, which housed the relics of Thérèse’s First Holy Communion. Despite the dangers that were
lurking in their sites, all of the Carmelite sisters made it to the Basilica unharmed. Many of the townspeople had already
gathered in the crypt of the Basilica when they arrived. It was for Pauline as well as for Céline a great culture shock.
They were forced back into the world once more, a world they had abandoned years ago.
Pauline and her Carmelite sisters went to the altar of the crypt and prayed in the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the
Smile. There they set up a temporary place for them to continue their life of prayer. Hours upon hours they would pray
numerous prayers for their own safety and also for the safety of all who were involved in the fighting for the liberation
of France.
Days after the initial bombings, the German army made their retreat from the Normandy beaches and set their sights on
many small French towns as they retreated eastward. They made several attempts to regroup their armies so that they
could make an attempt to counterattack the Allies invasion on June 8th. An order was sent to the German Panzer
division to regroup in Lisieux but due to the Allied bombings, the German army became disoriented. German General
Speidel changed his division’s direction from regrouping in Lisieux and turned around and headed to the town of Caen
instead. As the fighting went on, a number of the German soldiers, after being separated by the fighting, retreated to
Lisieux and took refuge in the upper half of the Basilica. The Germans made many attempts during the fighting to use
the townspeople as a buffer between them and the Allies. Pauline and Céline as well as their Carmelite sisters and many
of townspeople were also used as a buffer from the Allied forces while they were forced to stay in the crypt of the
Basilica. The Germans also gathered up many of the townspeople and forced them to repair the roads and bridges that
were destroyed by the Allied bombs.
To get a glance at the town they once knew from childhood, Pauline and Céline walked up the steps to the top of dome
of the Basilica. It was very heartbreaking for Pauline to see all of the destruction that lay before them. As tears fell from
her eyes, there were only memories left of the town she once knew for most of it was destroyed.
When fighting had stopped temporarily, the Carmelite nuns grouped themselves into pairs of two, risking their lives to
try and find some food in Lisieux. Pauline and Céline traveled throughout the ravaged town several times trying to find
anyone, which would be willing to share with them some food to eat as well as for their sisters. As they went searching
for food, they took the opportunity to go to Les Buissonnets and see whether it survived the bombings, it of course did.
When Pauline and Céline reached the door of the house that they once spent their childhood in, many of the fond
memories that they had shared resurfaced.
When there was another opportunity for them to venture out in Lisieux, they walked to the cemetery where their family
members were buried. Pauline and Céline prayed before the graves of their father and mother as well as their brothers
and sisters. They also had the opportunity to see and pay their respects to the Carmelite sisters they once knew while
they were in the monastery. These were the first and only times they were able to see what they thought they would
never see again in their lifetime.
Due to the Germans having a stronghold in and around Caen, it delayed the liberation of Lisieux until August 23rd. Once
the British troops reached the outskirts of Lisieux, word had spread throughout the town that the Allied forces were
nearby. On the 21st of August, the British finally reached the outskirts of Lisieux. In the distance, they could hear the
bells of the Basilica ringing even though the German army was still occupying the town. Soon, the German army
retreated to a ridge overlooking the town, leaving snipers behind. The Germans waited for the British troops to arrive
before they started to commence firing mortars on them and the townspeople. The rain delayed the British troops briefly
but they soon took control of the town.
When the British troops arrived at the Basilica, their first intentions were to blow it up. Because it was thought that the
Germans were still in the Basilica, however, they had already left. By a miracle alone, the British commander ultimately
changed his mind and spared the Basilica. After the British troops had complete control of Lisieux on August 24th, it
was time for Pauline, Céline and the sisters to return to the monastery. On August 27th, a procession carrying
Thérèse’s relics made its way from the Basilica and back to the Carmelite monastery. It was a day filled with tears by
both Pauline and Céline, the worst was finally over.
After they returned to the monastery, there was minor damage done to the monastery compound itself as well as to the
Basilica. It was time to repair the damage that was done. Life soon resumed as normal or at least what could be thought
of as normal. For years after, the Carmelite monastery and the town of Lisieux were still mending its wounds from the
devastation that the war had caused. Much had been lost of the medieval houses that inhabited the town as well as the
damage done to the famous Cathedral. Life was very hard for all.
As sisters, the relationship between Pauline and Céline was very close. After the deaths of their beloved other sisters
Marie and Léonie, the legacy of Thérèse’s life was left in their hands. They both continued to work feverishly together
on books and illustrations to continue the legacy of their beloved sainted sister. Even after the war, they relied heavily on
each other more and more. Pauline once remarked about her sister Céline, “I love my little Céline more than anything
else on earth.” (c) Pauline and Céline made every attempt to keep the legacy of their sainted sister as accurate as
possible in their publications to the public. Both of them were met with some resistance from people outside of the
monastery for years. Some authors even made attempts to alter their sainted sister’s ‘Little Way’ but Pauline and Céline
were there to counteract their false interpretations.
When 1949 reached, Pauline contracted a lung infection. She was to realize that she was no longer the physically strong
woman she was once before. Already, 87 years old, she had to rely on others to help her do medial tasks. Céline, her
sister, was always at her side aiding her in all of things that Pauline needed. Pauline became totally dependent upon her
sisters. But she surrendered all of her misgivings and only looked upon God as her source of inspiration and peace.
Pauline always echoed the words to her sisters and those that came to visit her: “Love and Confidence”, now she was
living her own words.
As the 1940’s ended and the 1950’s were ushered in, Pauline was reaching the final years of her life. She battled many
illnesses throughout her life but the common colds as well as the influenza outbreaks were becoming more and more
difficult for her to battle. But through it all, she still maintained her humility as well as her abilities to reign as prioress.
Due to Pauline’s physical infirmaries as well as her illness, she was moved to the infirmary. This time would be the last
time that she would see her cell, the room that was filled with so many memories of her and all of her sisters. Our Lady
of the Smile was placed in front of her bedside. It was very disheartening for Céline to watch her ‘little mother’ suffer
so much. Céline wrote in a note describing Pauline, “She is as sweet and serene as possible, totally abandoned to God.”
(C) As Céline witnessed previously the physical sufferings of her other sisters Thérèse and Marie, so now she was to
witness Pauline’s long ascent to Heaven.
Once the middle of July 1951 came, it became more apparent that Pauline only had days remaining of her life here on
earth. A priest gave her, her last confession as well as the Last Rites. She endured harsh suffering especially when it
came to her breathing. It was very difficult for her to breathe because of the fluid that had built up in her lungs.
On July 28, 1951, just minutes leading up to her death, she made every attempt to pray aloud the prayer, which she
often recited herself: “Jesus, meek and humble at heart make my heart unto thine.” After her last agony, witnessed by
her Carmelite sisters, Pauline’s soul ascended to Heaven. Céline as well as her other sisters prepared their ‘little mother’
for her viewing and her funeral. Her body was placed in the choir of the Carmelite chapel to be viewed by many that had
come from around the world to pay their respects.
On August 1, 1951, Bishop Picaud conducted the funeral Mass for Pauline. After the Mass ended in the Carmelite
chapel, her body was then taken to the vault and placed beside her sister Marie who was already interned there.
After close examination of the works of Thérèse, many theologians as well as biographers have found “Pauline’s
inspiration of evangelism in Thérèse’s message.” Throughout all of the Martin sisters lives, many of the visitors who
came to see Pauline, Marie, Léonie and Céline, at their respective monasteries, were left with the impression that all of
them were very holy nuns. There were many blessings bestowed upon the many visitors who came or wrote letters to
all of them about their sainted sister. Some were simply requests of prayers on their behalf for their intentions and others
were relics that were given to them of their sainted sister.
Bibliography
Abbé Combes, ed. Collected Letters Of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux . (CL)
New York: Sheed & Ward, 1949.
Dolan, Albert H. Rev.. Collected Little Flower Works. Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1929. (CW)
---. Life of the Little Flower (CWa)
---. Living Sisters of the Little Flower (CWb)
---. Our Sister is in Heaven (CWc)
---. Where the Little Flower seems nearest (CWd)
---. The Little Flower’s Mother. Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1929. (CWe)
---. An Hour with the Little Flower (CWf)
---. God Made The Violet Too: Life of Léonie, Sister of St. Thérèse. (GV)
Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1948.
Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF)
Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948.
Baudouin-Croix, Marie. Léonie Martin : A Difficult Life. (LM)
Dublin : Veritas Publications, 1993.
Beevers, John, trans. The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Story of a Soul. (SS)
New York: Doubleday, 1957.
Clarke, John, trans. St.Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations. (LC)
Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1977.
Martin, Celine. My Sister St.Thérèse Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of New York. (MST)
Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1959.
Martin, Celine. The Mother of the Little Flower Trans: Fr. Michael Collins, S.M.A. (ML)
Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc. 1957
Mother Agnes of Jesus. Marie, Sister of St. Thérèse. Ed. Rev. Albert H. Dolan, O.Carm.
Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1943. (M)
Piat, Stéphanie Fr. The Story Of A Family: The Home of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. (SF)
Trans: Benedictine of Stanbrook Abbey. Rockford, Ill.: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1948.
---. CÉLINE: Sister Geneviève of the Holy Face. Trans: The Carmelite Sisters of the Eucharist of Colchester, Conn. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1997. ©
Redmond, Paulinus Rev. Louis and Zélie Martin: The Seed and The Root of the Little Flower London: Quiller Press Limited, 1995. (SR)
Rohrbach, Peter-Thomas, O.C.D. The Search for St. Therese (SST)
Garden City, New York: Hanover House, 1961
Martin, Pauline. Little Counsels of Mother Agnes of Jesus, O.C.D. (LCM)
Lisieux, France, Office Central de Lisieux- distributed by Carmelite Monastery of Ada, Michigan
Helmuth Nils Loose, Pierre Descouvemont. Thérèse and Lisieux (TOL)
Trans: Salvatore Sciurba, O.C.D. and Louise Pambrun, Grand Rapids, Michigan Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996
Gibbons, James Cardinal. Holy Bible (Douay-Rheims) 1899 Edition. (B)
Baronius Press Unlimited, London, United Kingdom, 2005
| "Jesus is not asking us to succeed in the work of perfecting ourselves in any startling fashion. He watches our efforts with delight when they are inspired by love."-Mother Agnes of Jesus |
Written by: R. Hann
Copyright © 2005-10 by r hann All Rights Reserved
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| Mother Agnes of Jesus Marie Pauline Martin "The Pearl of Lisieux" |
| Our Lady of the Smile |
| "Touching someone's heart in just a little way makes the day go by much brighter" |
September 7, 1861-July 28, 1951